Campaign Finance and Required Reporting

Contribution Limits

**2025 contribution limits will be updated closer to the election.**

City Council candidates may accept contributions to assist them in conducting their campaigns and are limited to the following contribution amounts per election cycle:

• $290 from any person *(Updated 6/29/23 – contribution limits are adjusted each election based on the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood CPI)

All committees are required to report the name and street address for every contribution received over $50.

The committee, campaign and independent expenditure reporting forms will be updated and made available soon!

Committee Registration and Contribution & Expenditure Reporting

Forms for the 2025 election are being updated for 2025 and will be available soon. If you need a particular form or have a question, please call the City Clerk’s Office at (303) 651-8649.

**Forms for declaring candidacy and candidate nomination petition forms can be found on the Run For City Council page**

• • Candidate Committee Statement of Organization (must be filed prior to accepting any contributions)
  • Registration of Political and Issue Committee
  • Contribution & Expenditure Report. These forms are designed to tally the summary page for you once you enter the information on the appropriate schedule in the appropriate column.
  • Candidate Statement of Expenditures (for use only by a candidate who has not formed a committee, has accepted no contributions from any person, and who has only expended personal funds on his/her behalf during a reporting period)
  • Report of No Contributions & No Expenditures (for use only by a candidate who has not formed a committee, has accepted no contributions from any person, and has made no expenditures during a reporting period)
  • Independent Expenditure Form (In excess of $250) Independent Expenditures are defined in §2.04.203 as: “…any expenditure made for the purpose of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a candidate, or expressly advocating the passage or defeat of a ballot measure, that is not made with the cooperation or with the prior consent of, or in consultation with, or in coordination with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, candidate’s agent, candidate’s committee, or issue committee.” (Note: if an independent expenditure is made for/against a declared candidate or ballot measure, a report is due at the same intervals as candidate reports are due.  For clarification, see L.M.C. §2.04.206 – Independent expenditure disclosure.)
  • Off Year Report of Contributions and Expenditures (downloadable Excel format with formulas) These reports are due from all open committees on May 1 and November 1 of each off-election year.

• • Candidates and Candidate Committees forming on the more than 60 days before the election must file a report on the first day of each month after filing the Candidate Affidavit and continue until they become a certified candidate.
  • Political Committees forming on the more than 60 days before the election must file on the first of each month until the election cycle reporting begins on the 60th day before the election.
  • Issue Committees are not required to report contributions received and expenditures made prior to reaching the $5,000.00 threshold. Contributions received and expenditures made after reaching the $5,000.00 threshold shall be reported in accordance with this Act.
  • Reports of any Independent Expenditures are due at the next closest reporting period to the expenditure.
  • All candidate committees, political committees, and issue committees shall file reports with the city clerk on the sixtieth day, thirtieth day, twenty-first day, fourteenth day and on the Wednesday before and 30 days after the election in election years

Report an LFCPA Violation

• LFCPA Violation Reporting Form (pdf)

If you have questions regarding the LFCPA or appropriate forms, please call the City Clerk’s Office at (303) 651-8649.